


Don't swipe right

by itsbeen20years, MayhemWonder



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Boys Kissing, Canon Compliant, Enemies to Lovers, Hook-Up, London, M/M, One Night Stands, Online Dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26813812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsbeen20years/pseuds/itsbeen20years, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayhemWonder/pseuds/MayhemWonder
Summary: A man has needs, and a man is bored. When Kai makes a startling discovery while browsing Grindr, he doesn't know yet that his plans for the night will take an unpredicted turn.
Relationships: Hiwatari Kai & Kinomiya Hitoshi | Hiro Granger
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Don't swipe right

**Author's Note:**

> The fic that wrote itself on Tumblr.

I

“Oh. My. God.”  
Kai stared at his phone, mouth agape. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, at least until he heard Yuriy’s voice right next to him: “Hmmm, nice abs. Who’s this?”  
Kai hadn’t heard him coming into the room. He still wasn’t used to the presence of his former team captain, who rather spontaneously had decided to visit him in London because he would “go crazy if I have to spend another day in Moscow.” That had been two weeks ago. For one week now Yuriy was occupying his flat like a redheaded ghost who was barely noticeable but would always appear just when you think you are home alone.  
And now this. Kai would rather die than to admit that he spent his time on grindr, but a man has needs, and a man is bored. Yuriy, however, wasn’t paying much attention to the app, more so to the pictures that had just appeared on the screen. “Are you matching that or what?” he asked.  
Kai raised his head to look him in the face, frowning. “Since when do you appreciate pictures of hot guys?”  
“Hey, my aesthetic attraction is spot on,” Yuriy shot back, “I can appreciate a good looking, half naked… torso. Besides, is that this app people use to hook up?”  
“Yes. Not that you would need it…” Kai murmured. His thumb hovered over the display. He still hadn’t decided what to do.  
Yuriy came around the sofa and sat down next to him. “Does torso have a name?” he asked, “Or - God forbid! - a head?”  
“He does.” Kai gulped unwittingly. “And you know that name. And the head, for that matter.” He could not hide the sound of surprise in his voice. Kai was sure that they both knew the guy, even though Kai only had a first name, the age and those headless pictures. It just fit too well. Also, you didn’t hear that name too often in London.  
“Is it Miguel?” Yuriy guessed, “That Spanish guy, remember? He looked fit back then. But I haven’t seen him in ages.”  
“No, it’s not.”  
“Huh. I mean, it’s not Boris, that’s for sure. Rei? No, not gay enough. Garland? Is he…?”  
“No idea,” Kai said, “But you’re wrong.” Finally, he showed Yuriy his phone again. The redhead leaned in to have a closer look. “Wait. What?” He snatched the phone from Kai’s hands. “Fucking Hitoshi Kinomiya? Didn’t know that guy was such a snack. You’re definetely liking that…”  
“Wait - What are you doing?” Kai yelled, but it was too late. Yuriy had swiped. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed, “It’s a match!”

_  
H: well this is awkward._

_K: What a nice way to start a conversation._

_H: sorry. It’s just… I know a guy your age with the same name as you and I was wondering if you were the guy._

_K: Hiro. Stop pretending. It’s me._

_H: well this is awkward._

_K: Yes._

_K: Hi._

_H: Hi Kai how are you?_

_K: Fine I guess._

_K: So why did you swipe right?_

_H: Straight to the point, as usual._

_H: I think I was just curious. If it was really you I mean._

_K: Yeah, same…_

_H: And now we matched._

_K: We did._

_H: Nice pictures btw._

_K: Likewise. How much of it is Photoshop?_

_H: ha._

_H: Just a bit. Had to hide the wrinkles here and there ;)_

_K: What. You’re not that much older than me. Just three years._

_H: three years used to be a lot_

_K: So what are you doing in London? Work?_

_H: Yes. At the museum, actually._

_K: Nice_

_H: You’re studying, right? Takao told me._

_K: Yes. Been living here for two years now._

_H: Oh I didn’t know. I visit London maybe twice a year, for work. We could have met earlier :)_

_H: Wanna hang out sometime? :))  
_

II

“SAY YES!” Yuriy screamed, bringing Kai back to reality.  
“No? Are you insane? It’s way too weird”  
“I know, I thought he hated you, but clearly not. He wants to hang out.”  
“I don’t know what’s going on in your unicorn and rainbow world,” Kai retorted, “but he didn’t precisely invite me to have ice cream or… hang out.”  
Yuriy rolled his eyes. “I know what this app is, Kai. I was speaking metaphorically.”  
Kai looked again at the phone. Hitoshi hadn’t written anything else. “Anyway, that’s Takao’s brother we’re talking about.”  
Yuriy shrugged, “So? He would not be your first questionable choice.”  
“Hosting you is a questionable choice,” Kai said flatly, without thinking it.  
Yuriy ignored Kai’s attempt at insulting him. He walked around Kai, thinking out loud. “Besides, it would make for a glorious story. Can you imagine? What could Takao ever tell you that can’t be counter-attacked with a ‘I fucked your older brother’?”  
“I don’t hook up with people for stories.”  
“Ok, fair point,” admitted Yuriy, “but if he wasn’t Hitoshi, would you say yes? Let’s be honest here, he wasn’t God’s last choice when He distributed faces.”  
“What is that supposed to mean.”  
Kai looked down at his phone, again. Yuriy had a point here. Anyway, Hitoshi had mentioned he was in London only twice a year. Perhaps he could give a vague answer and if Kai wasn’t down at that precise moment, he could cancel last minute. It’s not as if they were going to bump on each other every day.  
 _  
K: Sure._

 _H: Cool :) Are you free tonight?  
_  
Kai’s face turned white and he turned towards Yuriy. “Yura, I’ve made a mistake.”

III

“Yura,” Kai said while looking at himself in the mirror, getting his hair in order, “I don’t think you realise what I just did. I basically told Kinomiya Hitoshi that I was dtf.”  
“But you are, aren’t you?” Yuriy countered lazily. He was raiding Kai’s fridge - again. It was a mystery to him how such a skinny guy could snack all day, but apparently he could, and would, given the chance.  
“Why else would you use that app? If it wasn’t Kinomiya, it would be some random dude. I mean, at least you know him.”  
“Yes, but that’s the problem!” Kai exclaimed. “I don’t want to know the guys I fuck.”  
Yuriy appeared in his field of vision again, holding a bowl of ice cream and a spoon. “You’re weird,” he said before eyeing him up. “Dashing, but weird.”  
“Uh, thanks, I guess.”  
Kai hesitated. He had put on a nice pair of black jeans and a well-fitted button down shirt. “Is that… too much?” He gestured at his reflection, frowning.  
Yuriy grinned. “You want to impress him!”  
“No. I just want to feel confident.”  
“So you’re nervous.”  
“No I’m not. Listen, I…”  
“You are.”  
“No!”  
“Yes.”  
“Fuck you.” Kai let out a deep sigh. Yes, he had decided to wear some nice clothes. So what? They would meet at a pub - some neutral grounds just to have some sort of safety net. He wanted to look decent in public. “It’s fine,” he said firmly.  
“It is. Now get out. You’re already late.”  
“Yes, but that’s the trick,” Kai said and grabbed the spoon that Yuriy just had put back into the bowl to help himself on the ice cream. “Make yourself scarce.”  
“Well, it takes a thief…” Yuriy held the bowl up so Kai couldn’t reach it and pushed him towards the door. “Now leave. I want to occupy your couch, and your Netflix account.”

Just a little while later Kai was walking towards the pub. He had lied to Yuriy. He was nervous. What the hell was he even doing? He wasn’t that desperate, was he? When he had opened the app a few hours ago he just wanted to check what was going on. He didn’t even use it most of the time! Just once every few months he… well.  
But now it was too late, right? He didn’t come all the way here - a 20 minute subway ride after all! - for nothing. And he was Kai Hiwatari. He wouldn’t back down.  
It was a normal Friday evening. People were standing on the curb, having their after work drinks. There were a decent number of guys in suits, and Kai, who was used to seeing Hitoshi in boring, or plain hideous, outfits, briefly wondered if he would even recognise his date.  
But he didn’t have to wonder for long. There he was, and he had also spotted Kai immediately. Kinomiya Hitoshi smiled widely and waved. And Kai’s head went blank, except for one thought.  
Oh no, he’s hot.

IV

When had Hitoshi Kinomiya turned hot? That was a plot twist Kai’s evening didn’t need. Had he always been hot, his hotness hidden under second-hand baggy clothes? Or had Kai’s standards taken a sharp drop during the last few months?  
Kai was still pondering the matter when he sat next to Hitoshi. The older Kinomiya had traded his usual ill-fitted outfit for a dark shirt and decent jeans.  
He didn’t seem bothered that Kai was late. He greeted him with a wide smile. “Long time no see! I went ahead and ordered a beer. What do you want?”  
“I’ll stick to water for now, thank you,” said Kai drily.  
He didn’t miss the disappointed glint in Hitoshi’s eyes.  
The bartender put a tall glass of water in front of him and Kai glanced at his phone. Yuriy had texted him a dozen of thumbs ups emojis.  
Kai rolled his eyes and gave his attention back to Hitoshi. They awkwardly exchanged pleasantries. How was London. The weather. Which Japanese restaurants were decent. How stupid expensive the rent was.  
After a few minutes of the small talk game, Hitoshi abruptly changed the subject. “So. I didn’t know you were… _single_.”  
Kai blinked. How subtle.  
“It’s not a secret,” Kai said, taking a sip of his water. “I didn’t know you were… _single_ either.”  
Hitoshi laughed. “Well, I don’t think you and I ever discussed personal matters.”  
 _Of course not, dickhead, back in the days you were busy being a pebble in my shoe_ , thought Kai.  
Said dickhead was now looking intently as Kai, as if seeing him for the first time. Kai let him. It was flattering to have his attention.  
A moment of silence passed. Hitoshi broke it.  
“How is your water?”  
“Refreshing,” Kai answered flatly.  
Hitoshi started playing with the sleeve buttons of his shirt, clearly not used to such an outfit. “I am happy I found you, Kai. I was feeling a tad lonely in the city.”  
“You were the last person on earth I was expecting to find on… this app.”  
“Guess you didn’t know me as well as you thought,” retorted Hitoshi. “ On my side, I am not surprised at all you’re on it. You must love the attention.”  
“I suppose you can relate. Even if it’s Photoshop,” Kai said, pointing at Hitoshi’s chest.  
Hitoshi shifted on his seat, amused. “Would you be here if you fully believed it was Photoshop?”  
Kai smirked. “Touché.”  
Hitoshi ordered a second beer and Kai gave in and ordered one too. Hitoshi’s face relaxed.  
“No water?” He teased. “Watch out, you might actually have fun if you’re not careful.”  
Kai gave him a deadpan stare. “’Fun’ is my middle name.”  
Hitoshi tilted his head, his stare now serious. “I coached you for many years, I can confirm that it’s not. You were… such a pain in the ass.”  
Kai’s eyes narrowed. “And you think you were not?”  
Hitoshi laughed. “You’re still so difficult. Good thing that you’re ridiculously attractive. It makes up for your temper.”  
Kai almost dropped his glass in surprise. He had expecting many things. Hitoshi Kinomiya openly hitting on him hadn’t been one of them.  
This was surreal. And as it turns out, not unpleasant.  
They finished their second drink mostly in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable one, this time.  
After insisting to take care of the bill, Hitoshi rose up, ready to leave. "I suppose we won’t be going back to your place.”  
Kai envisioned Yuriy on his couch binge-watching trashy British reality TV. Then, he looked at Hitoshi in front of him.  
 _He’s in London twice a year. It’s not as if you’re going to see him again anytime soon._  
“We won’t be going back to my place,” Kai confirmed.  
Hitoshi’s lips formed a stiff line. “I see.”  
Kai gently grabbed Hitoshi’s forearm. “Where do _you_ live?”

V

It was the most awkward taxi ride ever. They both sat in the back, but at a safe distance and without saying a word. Kai didn’t know what to talk about. If he was completely honest with himself, he was slightly panicking. He didn’t even know why. It was not the first time he went home with a stranger. There had been one or two times where nobody would’ve known where he went and with whom, should he have gotten lost. He often didn’t know much more than his companion’s first name, and that was perfectly fine. So maybe that was what was making him feel uncomfortable now. He noticed that Hitoshi was looking at him several times, but he never spoke up, and Kai didn’t react, either.  
It was a quick ride, by London standards. They ended up in a neighborhood further up in the North. The taxi stopped in front of a townhouse and Hitoshi opened the door. “You coming?” he asked. Kai hesitated for one second, then he nodded and got out of the car as well. It was quiet, and most windows were dark. The air had become a bit chilly and Kai noticed for the first time that no, he didn’t bring a jacket tonight.  
“How did you find your flat?” he asked, because he really wanted to know. The area seemed a bit unusual for someone like Hitoshi.  
“I’m subletting, actually”, the older one answered. He pulled his keys from his pocket and opened the door. Kai followed him upstairs into a tiny but well-kept flat. It smelled rather neutral in here - proof that nobody lived here most of the time. Kai suspected that the furniture also belonged to the landlord. It didn’t really fit Hitoshi, and everything seemed a bit run-down. There was a comfy sofa in the middle of the room, as well as a coffee table. A bed in the back corner, and an open kitchen to his right. They were right beneath the roof so there were just a few tiny attic windows. A small door probably led into the bathroom.  
“I have more beer, if you want another drink”, Hitoshi said behind him, and when he felt the warmth of the other’s body in his back, Kai finally took a few steps further into the flat and took his shoes off. “It’s nice”, he said, “Not much bigger than my flat.”  
“Still costing me a small fortune. Sit, make yourself at home.” Hitoshi waved towards the couch and Kai sat down on it like it was about to explode. He heard the other one rummaging around in the kitchen, then he joined him and handed him a bottle. “Cheers. And, uh, thanks for the company.”  
“Well, thanks for swiping right, I guess.”  
Hitoshi laughed softly. “So what do you wanna do?”  
Kai’s eyebrows twitched, but he succeeded in not letting his feelings show. Yes, he was still nervous. No, he still didn’t know what to do. And by the way, when had Hitoshi opened the first two buttons of his shirt? He couldn’t keep himself from indulging in the sight of his bare neck and the faint indication of his collarbone. “Well…,” he said, pulling himself together, and raised his bottle, “I think I want to drink my beer.”  
Hitoshi leaned back. “Fine with me. In that case, I will just stare at you a little longer.” A smirk spread on his face when Kai huffed in disbelief. The alcohol made this whole situation easier, though. He returned Hitoshi’s gaze while taking a sip from his bottle; knowing fully well that the liquid made his lips all wet and shimmering. “You know,” he said nonchalantly, “If you like to look at me so much you could just print out those profile pictures you already have.”  
“Good point, actually. After all, this biceps was created by my training routine.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous. If it was really your doing, Manabu would look like The Rock now. Do you actually know how much I used to work out on top of the normal training?”  
“I don’t, but I always wondered.” Hitoshi leaned forward again, but he wasn’t uncomfortably close. And Kai let himself sink in a bit more. It wasn’t that bad, spending time with him. He had worse. Mostly, he had less talking, more...everything else. But it was fine, really.  
“And you’re still pretty fit, huh?” the other one continued. “No Photoshop?”  
“No Photoshop,” Kai confirmed, not without a hint of pride in his voice. Hitoshi hummed and lifted his bottle to his mouth and Kai couldn’t keep himself from looking at his open collar again. Now that there was no table immediately in front of them, he had a better view of his body, and he would lie if he said he didn’t like what he saw. Not that much Photoshop after all.  
“Speaking of good old times,” Hitoshi said, “Do you miss it?”  
“Not...often.”  
“I see. I think Takao misses hanging out with you a lot. Even though you-”  
“...were an asshole?” Kai cut him off. “That never bothered him.”  
“No. I wanted to say, even though you two always caused so much drama.” He paused, twisting his mouth. “So. Much. Drama.” He put his hands on his knees and slightly bent forward, as if he was completely exhausted.  
“Are you having war flashbacks now?”  
“You know, actually I do! Do you know how often I had to listen to Takao complaining about how badly he wants to battle you? He wouldn’t shut up…” His words trailed off when Kai chuckled. He couldn’t help it. Thinking back, remembering all that unnecessary drama between him and Takao - maybe it was the beer, or the fact that this night couldn’t get any more ridiculous.  
Hitoshi grinned. He had raised his head and was watching him closely now. “Finally” he said, “You’re laughing.”  
Kai blinked in confusion, but his smile still clung to his face, and Hitoshi came closer. And then he kissed him. Just like that.

VI

Kai woke up in his own bed. He had declined Hitoshi’s offer to stay for the night. He avoided awkward mornings whenever possible.  
Kai slowly made his way to the kitchen. Yuriy was already up. He had cleaned the countertops and was now making breakfast.  
Yuriy made up for raiding his fridge and stealing his Netflix by being a neat freak and a pretty good cook. A welcome change in Kai’s diet.  
"Good morning!” Yuriy said, his smile wide with innuendo.  
“Close your mouth, your teeth are blinding me.”  
Yuriy didn’t miss his friend’s tired look. “What time did you come back home yesterday? I didn’t hear you.”  
Kai poured himself a cup of coffee and offered a vague answer. “Early.”  
Yuriy frowned, concerned. “Oh. It didn’t go well, then?”  
Kai’s mouth stretched in an embarrassed smile. “Early in the morning, I mean.”  
Yuriy almost dropped the pan he was holding. “OH MY GOD. You had sex with Hitoshi Kinomiya”  
“Say it louder,” Kai answered irritated, “I don’t think the people down the street have heard clearly enough.”  
Kai sat at the counter. His kitchen was too small for a proper table.  
Yuriy served him a full plate of French toasts and asked, “How was it?”  
Kai wasn’t certain how to answer the question. He poked at one toast with his fork. “Have you ever had… an awkward first date?”  
“Do you mean realizing halfway through the evening that the other person thinks it’s a date and you thought it was only a friendly dinner?”  
Kai chuckled. “No, I don’t mean that.”  
“Then, no,” Yuriy answered with a shrug.  
Kai chose his words carefully. “It was… weird. But not… unpleasant weird. He said I caused a lot of drama. Anyway… Long story short, we went to his place. Had a drink. He offered me to spend the night, I declined.”  
Kai finally attacked his French toasts. They were the perfect level of sweetness. He wasn’t looking forward to return to his usual take-away bakery breakfasts when Yuriy would be back in Russia.  
The redhead, on the other hand, had apparently completely forgotten about the food. “You can’t cut the story there! How was it? Was he actually fit? Was the sex good?”  
“Yes, he was. And it was fine.”  
Yuriy pouted. “Fine? Just fine?”  
Kai didn’t feel like answering. For someone who had no interest in casual sex, Yuriy was ridiculously curious about Kai’s personal life.  
The redhead took his silence as a complaint. “Oh no. Don’t tell me you could feel his teeth when he gave you a bl—”  
“No, there were no teeth,” Kai interrupted. “It was fine, I told you. A bit awkward because it’s Hitoshi. But decent.”  
Yuriy nodded. Then, he sat down and focused on his breakfast as well.  
They ate in comfortable silence and when they were done, Yuriy did the dishes. Kai hung out in the kitchen, working on his second cup of coffee. Finally, Yuriy asked, “Do you think he’ll tell Takao?”  
“He asked me not to, so I suppose he won’t.”  
“Wow. You banged Hitoshi Kinomiya. This is quality gossip,” mumbled Yuriy more to himself than Kai.  
At this exact moment, Kai’s phone buzzed. Kai opened the text he had just received and after a few seconds of silence, said, “Yura. You want real quality gossip?”  
Yuriy smiled again. “Always.”  
Kai paused, adding momentum. Yuriy was waiting for the answer, while mechanically washing an already clean plate.  
Kai suddenly showed his phone to Yuriy. “Hitoshi wants to see me again.”  
Yuriy dropped the plate to the floor.


End file.
